A leading trade union has called for it to be given a role in helping low paid workers help themselves.Currently, the onus of reporting cases of under payment of the minimum wage falls on low paid workers themselves.

According to GMB union, many fear reprisals if they act and so keep their heads down.

In addition, a Resolution Foundation report, Under the Wage Floor, states that firms have a one-in-eight chance of being caught for underpayment, with smaller outfits facing an even lower risk of being discovered.

Warren Kenny, GMB regional secretary London, said:

The level of under payment of the national minimum wage is likely to be higher than the figures from HMRC shows.

This is because the onus of reporting cases of under payment  currently falls on low paid workers themselves.

Many fear reprisals if they act and so they keep their heads down.

GMB has called for workers to be able to ask their trades unions to be able to take up cases on their behalf with HMRC.

This is not allowed now.

As the national minimum wage increases as a proportion of average wages it is essential that other enforcement avenues are opened up for vulnerable workers.

This is something the new Government could do to help workers across the land at no cost to taxpayers.